


The Teacher and the Werewolf

by sirro134



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Prompt Fill, Werelock, Wolf_dog_
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-28 06:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirro134/pseuds/sirro134
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: John was a teacher at a high school, a well-liked one, too. He tried to not set too much homework, and let the kids have fun in class at the same time as learning. They told him things – rumours, gossip, that sort of thing – so, of course, he was the first teacher to know of the ‘gigantic dog’ that was hiding out in the bushes in one side of the school and terrorizing students. At first, he hadn't believed them, just thinking it was a joke, but more and more students complained to him, and the seriousness of their faces convinced him. He was usually good with animals, so he decided to see if he could deal with the dog before he told the principal. During lunch time, he went to the cafeteria and bought a sandwich and went to where the students had told him the animal would be. He immediately spotted the animal and his eyebrows went up. It was huge. With black/brown fur and the most piercing (and captivating) blue eyes John had ever seen. It was lying underneath a bush, just watching him. He stopped a meter away and sat down, giving a smile. He didn't want to aggravate the animal, and he unwrapped the sandwich and lay it down in the middle of them on the wrapping, as a peace-offering of sorts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Teacher and the Werewolf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wolf_dog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolf_dog/gifts).



Prompt: John was a teacher at a high school, a well-liked one, too. He tried to not set too much homework, and let the kids have fun in class at the same time as learning. They told him things – rumours, gossip, that sort of thing – so, of course, he was the first teacher to know of the ‘gigantic dog’ that was hiding out in the bushes in one side of the school and terrorizing students. At first, he hadn’t believed them, just thinking it was a joke, but more and more students complained to him, and the seriousness of their faces convinced him. He was usually good with animals, so he decided to see if he could deal with the dog before he told the principal. During lunch time, he went to the cafeteria and bought a sandwich and went to where the students had told him the animal would be. He immediately spotted the animal and his eyebrows went up. It was huge. With black/brown fur and the most piercing (and captivating) blue eyes John had ever seen. It was lying underneath a bush, just watching him. He stopped a meter away and sat down, giving a smile. He didn’t want to aggravate the animal, and he unwrapped the sandwich and lay it down in the middle of them on the wrapping, as a peace-offering of sorts.

Sherlock hadn't meant to end up near a school of all places but he did not have the energy to move away. Especially not in the daylight where everyone would notice a larger than normal wolf wandering around the streets of London. He had been chased there by someone in another pack and he was still recovering from the chase. It had been most of the night and Sherlock hadn't had anything to eat or drink since the day before. When the short blond man came into the woods he instantly was on high alert. As high alert as he could be while all his muscles were betraying him. He could smell something on him.

Food.

Sherlock's stomach growled but he remained still until the man sat down, placing the sandwich part way between them. He looked at it, and looked at the man. He seemed friendly enough. He didn't smell dangerous or like a threat. Sherlock knew the man was trying to give a peace offering, probably so that he wouldn't harm any of the children (which he wouldn't, they didn't run fast enough for a good chase for one) or himself. He crawled over to the sandwich slowly and sniffed it to see if it was poisoned before wolfing it down, literally, within seconds.

“Hungry are you?” John chuckled as he watched the sandwich disappear. Sherlock looked up at the man as he spoke and licked his lips clean to prove his point.

“I don’t have any more but I could bring you some later.” He said, not expecting the wolf like thing to understand him.

Sherlock looked the man over. He must be one of the teachers at the school. His wardrobe told him that. Middle aged, maybe younger. Lives off teacher’s salary only. Goes out to the pub some nights, nice character. Sherlock inched closer to the man and licked his hand as a thanks.

John let his hand out as the wolf approached him so he could smell it. He knew it was what one was supposed to do when being introduced to a dog so he did the same with the wolf. The wolf sniffed his hand and then licked it, making him chuckle a bit.

“You’re friendly.” He said, a bit surprised. It was a good thing, maybe he could convince it to trot along so that the kids didn’t get scared. He didn’t want the staff closing off the field and trying to chase it out.

“You better get out of here soon though or others will be coming along to get you out of here.” John said.

Sherlock knew that all too well. He whined softly to let John know he knew.

John took notice. No… he didn’t understand him… did he?

“You understand me?” John asked, feeling stupid.

Shoot. Sherlock cocked his head to the side. He shouldn’t be this close to the man. But he felt safe. Comfy too. Sherlock laid his head on John’s leg and looked up at him.

“Maybe I should go get Mr. Morrison’s cat and see if he’d like to play with you.”

Sherlock growled instantly then realized what the man was doing. He looked up to see a smug look on the man’s face like he had caught him.

“I knew you could. But why?”

Sherlock got up and walked (more like staggered) back to his spot and laid back down in the spot he was in before. He huffed as he laid down and pretended to go back to sleep.

“Well, try and stay hidden from the kids if you can. They will alert the staff and then all hell will break loose.” John got up from his own spot and brushed off the leaves from his trousers. He smiled at the wolf and started to walk back towards the school.

Sherlock watched him go and was puzzled by the man’s reaction to him. He had not been afraid of him nor did he try chase him off. He was concerned of Sherlock’s welfare. No, don’t be silly. He was only concerned so that Sherlock didn’t try and eat a bunch of the children. He wouldn’t of course, but that was not what the man was worried about. He moved further into the bushes so he would not be seen. He still needed some more energy before he could consider trying to head home.

John came back out and assured his kids that the wolf had gone but warned them to keep out in case it came back. They agreed and John headed back to his classroom. So there was an intelligent wolf slumbering in the thick of the forest. Interesting. He focused on his class, putting the wolf out of the children’s minds and filled it with studies.  
At the end of the day, John packed his bags and made his way down to the cafeteria to see if there was anything left over. Meat sauce. John was glad and he scooped a bunch of it into a container and he made his way out to the forest again. He looked around for the wolf but saw no sign of him. Instead, he sat down, placing the food in front of him and took out his paper work he had to mark. Might as well make use of the time.

Sherlock woke when he could smell the meat sauce mixed with the smell of that man from earlier. He felt more rested now and got up to go see what the man had for him. He watched him from a fair distance to make sure he was alone and not a threat. He wasn’t. He was just marking papers. Sherlock quietly walked over to the container of meat sauce, keeping an eye on John.

John had been so absorbed in his marking, he didn’t see Sherlock approach and jumped when he saw him.

Sherlock looked up at him in surprise.

“Sorry, you bloody scared me.”

Sherlock made a snickering noise and continued eating.

“Oh shut it.” John smiled. He put his paperwork away and watched as the sauce was devoured within seconds.

“Why do you stay here? Can’t you go home?”

Sherlock looked up at him as if it were obvious why he could not. When it didn’t seem to click, he looked around at his fur and lifted his paw to prove his point.

“Right. Over sized wolf would draw too much attention.”

Sherlock nodded. He also did not want to change back in front of this man. He didn’t want him knowing who he was. Well… not really… he was nice enough. No. It was a rule that the revelation of werewolves would never be witnessed by humans unless they were mates. Which John was not.

“You might fit in the back of my car. Can I drive you closer to it at least?”  
Sherlock shook his head.

“I guess that wouldn’t work to well. You can’t exactly tell me where to go.” John knew the wolf probably didn’t want him knowing where he lived. It made sense, he wouldn’t want anyone knowing either if he was in the wolf’s position.

“I’m sorry I don’t have more food.” John said, noticing the meat sauce was clearly not enough. Sherlock shrugged and lay down next to John. Sherlock felt calm laying next to John. He never felt this way with anyone before. Not even Mycroft.

“You’re just a cuddle cub aren’t you?” John laughed and scratched behind the wolf’s ears.

Sherlock growled lowly but leaned into John’s touch. Oh that felt wonderful!

John chuckled at the growl that diminished at prods for more.

Sherlock and John spent time together till it started to get dark. John started to get a bit uncomfortable with the cold air closing in.

“I guess I should get going. Oh, my name is John. John Watson.” John said as he started to get up again. Sherlock held out his paw for a shake. John smiled and shook his paw. It was huge in his hand and quite heavy.

John started to walk towards his car and Sherlock found himself following him. He stopped at the edge of the forest, debating on whether to go home or follow John. John stopped and looked back at him. “Do you want to come with me?” John asked, sensing the wolf did not want to be left behind.

He shouldn’t. Sherlock knew he shouldn’t. But John fascinated him. He looked around to see if anyone would see him and then darted over to John’s car. What was he thinking!

John smiled and moved stuff off the back seat so that the wolf could fit a bit better. “Sorry, it’s small and a mess.” John said and threw a few papers on the floor and some in the front. Sherlock shrugged and when John leaned out, he climbed in and felt the car sink at his weight. For one who never ate much, it was quite an insult to his constitution.  
John climbed in and drove off down the street into traffic. He checked on the wolf once in a while to make sure he was okay. He drove into a residential area that had many different flats in it and John parked in the underground parking. He looked around and opened the door to let Sherlock out.

“We’ll have to grab the lift before anyone sees you. Strictly speaking we’re not supposed to have pets in the building.” He said. Sherlock huffed indignantly at the comment. He was not a common house pet.“I’m not saying you are. I’m just saying they won’t like me taking you up so stick close.” John said and snuck to the lift without issue. He silently prayed no one entered the lift as they went to his floor.

Sherlock snuck behind John, not smelling anyone nearby and entered the lift. He filled up half the lift but he managed to turn around alright. He sat down and watched the number light up with interest. They came to the fourth floor and John looked around before sneaking the wolf to his flat.

What was he doing? This was some random wolf he just met and he’d bringing him to his flat? Was he that sleep deprived that his sanity had left him? But the wolf was intelligent. Intelligent to understand what John meant. He opened the door to his flat and quickly went inside.

Sherlock took a sniff of the flat before deeming it safe and snuck in with John. John closed the door and tossed his bag on his bed.  
Sherlock examined the small flat. It was small, non matching furniture, probably passed on to him. His walls had no photos on it but his table had some scattered bills and other paperwork.

“Hey, which one do you want?” He asked, holding out a take out menu. Chinese. John’s favorite. Sherlock looked at the menu and pointed his nose at the Chicken Chow Mein. Or at least he tried to point at that specifically. His nose covered most of the section.

“Chicken, chicken chop suey, chicken fried rice, chicken chow mein-“ Sherlock made a noise in his throat and nodded.  
“Chicken chow Mein it is then.” John said and he took up his phone to order their meal. He added a few other dishes to the order partially so that he didn’t have to cook for his lunch the next day but he was sure the wolf would eat most of it.

Sherlock wandered into the living room and climbed up onto the long couch. He could fill it but he knew it would be rude to take his host’s place. He could smell John spent a lot of time on the couch here. He could smell something he had only smelled in intimate situations.

John looked at Sherlock taking up two places on his three person couch. “May I sit here?” He asked a bit dryly.

Sherlock inched away from the remaining spot so that his head rested only on the second cushion. John sat down and turned on the tele. He wasn’t really watching it but he flipped through till he found a Lassie movie and looked over at the wolf with a smirk on his face.

If Sherlock could raise an eyebrow, he would. He groaned and yawned.

“You lounged all day in the woods there and you’re still tired?” John teased.

Sherlock growled quietly, not meanly. He moved his head onto John’s lap and sighed contently. He could smell John’s pants (considering they were right next to his nose). He sniffed discretely and enjoyed the smell. He smelled good.

After a bit of telly their food arrived. John got it and paid for it before opening some of them in the kitchen. He scooped some into a small container for his lunch the next day, scooped a small amount onto a plate then took the containers over to the coffee table next to the couch and placed them open for the wolf to eat.  
Sherlock couldn’t help following him around with food in his hands. John had to shoo him out of the kitchen a few times but he waited, watching what John was doing. He wasn’t going to give Sherlock all that food was he? He knew he could eat it but… he felt a bit guilty. This man had already fed him something twice that day. He would have to find a way to pay him back later.

John sat down on the couch with his plate and said, “There you go. Dig in.” He said and started to eat from his own plate. Sherlock looked up at him as if to say, ‘are you sure?’  
“Yeah, go on. You’ve got to be starving by now.” John said in between bites.

Sherlock wagged his tail and started to lap up all the food eagerly. It tasted very good too. He finished two of the containers and licked up the bits of food surrounding the dishes. He left the last one for John. He’d eat when he got home if he wanted to. John looked down at the dish that was left untouched.

“Don’t like that one?” John asked.

Sherlock shook his head. He did like it, but he was not hungry anymore. He wagged his tail and nuzzled his nose into John’s arm to thank him.

“You’re welcome. It’s nice to have someone to share it with.” He grinned.

Sherlock was really starting to enjoy John’s company. He was nice, offered him food and understanding. And he smelled good. But he was not focusing on that.

“What are you then? I have a few theories but I think I’ve been reading too many of my kid’s stories.” Sherlock looked up at him. He wanted to show John what he was but he was not allowed. It would put John at risk knowing. Or at least knowing who /he/ was. He turned his head away and whined softly.

“I’m not allowed to know then, is that it?” John asked, slightly annoyed. Sherlock nodded slowly. He didn’t like the fact he had to hide from the one person who actually treated him like a person (well dog in this case but more human than most people he knew).

“Okay… can I at least make one guess and you tell me if I’m right?” John asked. Sherlock thought about it and nodded. He could at least tell him what he was if John guessed right.

“Right, are you some sort of… werewolf then? Or shape shifter?” Yes, he guessed right. Sherlock nodded at the first and shook his head at the second. He was really sort of both but he couldn’t tell John that.

“Werewolf. Not one of those ones that lose their minds like in the stories then.” John teased. Sherlock huffed indignantly but then made a sound that imitated a snicker. “So you are a person under all that fur.”

Sherlock did not move for a while but nodded very minimally. What was he doing! Admitting to all this…

“I won’t say anything, heck I’m not even supposed to have you up here, but I’d like to meet you in person too.” John said. “Might actually get a decent conversation out of you.” He scratched Sherlock’s ears. Sherlock snorted at the thought and laid his head back down on John’s lap.  
John and Sherlock watched telly for a while before John started to look like he was about to fall asleep. Sherlock nuzzled him to get his attention and gestured towards John’s bedroom and tried to push him off the couch.

“Oi, alright alright. I’m going.” John said tiredly. He stood up and put the empty dishes in the sink. “You can have the couch if you’d like.” He said turning back to the wolf.

Sherlock stretched out on it comfortably and made himself at home on it. John chuckled tiredly and staggered to his room.

“Good night.” He called, shutting his door. Sherlock gave a small yowl back in response and watched him go in before really settling down. He should leave. Go home and never see the man again. But… he didn’t want to never see him again. He liked John and the company he provided. He listened for the sounds of John settling into bed before he shifted back into his human skin and contemplated what to do. He found the receipt from their meal and a pen to write on it with.  
Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

He stopped himself from signing it. There was much more he wanted to say but limited space was his excuse. Sherlock knew he was without clothes and would have to shift again if he wanted to get home without causing too much trouble. He quietly left the note and crept to the door. He unlocked it and jiggled the knob to lock again as he exited.  
John could hear someone moving around his flat and then realized it must be the wolf in human form. He was very tempted to get up and see what he looked like but the door closed before he could have a chance to.

Sherlock managed to get around the building without any issue. He slid out the back door and trotted through the streets weaving his way back to Baker Street. He found his clothes where he had left them, now damp, and put them on before returning to his flat. He opened the door to his empty flat and found it more empty than usual. He missed John’s company and knew it would be a long time before he could see him again. He flung himself into his chair unceremoniously and picked up his mobile

14 Inbox 7 missed calls from Mycroft. Sherlock rolled his eyes and tapped in that he was fine.

Where were you? –MH

Out. –SH

Clearly, are you safe? –MH

Check your cameras and you tell me. –SH

Sherlock turned on the telly and watched some of the same crap shows he and John were watching. He sighed heavily and drifted into sleep.

John woke up and couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss in the flat. He had really enjoyed the wolf’s company last night. He wondered if he would ever see him again but doubted it. He got ready for the school day ahead of him and he was not looking forward to it. What was wrong with him? He was hanging out with someone(thing) last night and here he was moping around like a lost puppy. He drank his tea and pulled himself together.

Sherlock became stir crazy and decided to go out for a walk. He wanted a smoke but he was trying to quit. He put a patch and walked out of the flat. Sherlock wandered along London’s streets. Sherlock found himself back at the school without even realizing it. He stopped outside the gate and looked around at the teenagers hanging out on their lunch break. He moved along until he saw John. John was out there looking over at the forest. John was looking for him. He smiled a bit and wondered how bad it would be to actually go see him. He shook the thought from his mind and walked on as soon as John looked in his direction.

John hadn’t heard any bits of chatter about a wolf in the woods again so he assumed the wolf was not there. He sighed and looked around the school yard for trouble. He was stuck on monitor duty that day. Oh joy. He actually liked it because it meant he got to go walk around a bit but he lost some of his marking time. John looked over to the fence and saw a man looking directly at him. It was brief but he could have sworn he knew the man somehow. What was it? The eyes. He knew those eyes. He tried to go over to the man but he had vanished into the crowd of people. Maybe he had imagined it. Maybe it was just some stranger who didn’t know John at all. He’d never know now. John shrugged it off and did his walk around.

Sherlock followed John around for a couple of days and made it like a case for himself. Find out all he needed to know about John Watson. The week went on and Sherlock noted his patterns and habits. Unfortunately, his presence was a bit more noticeable than he would have liked. John would catch glimpses of him or see through his disguises before Sherlock would pull away. He knew he should stop, Mycroft told him that. Sherlock was drawn to John; he had treated him like a friend. How many friends did Sherlock have? None.

John felt a bit uneasy after meeting the wolf. He felt like he was being watched. He would look over his shoulder or check to see if he was being followed. It was always the same person every time he looked. One day he was walking to the store for some groceries but felt like he was being followed again. This time he had a plan. He walked quickly down the street and when he found a back alley, he ducked into it. It could go one of two ways; the man could walk by or follow him down the alley. Either way, the man was going to give him some answers. John waited for the first signs of the man. He grabbed the man’s long coat and slammed him against the wall. The man was somewhat surprised at his sudden contact with the wall of the alley but did not fight back.

“Why the hell are you following me?!” John demanded. The man was taller than he was but he was still able to hold him firmly against the wall. He looked the man over and felt like he was familiar. Something was familiar but he could not fully place it.

“I’m a consulting detective. A mutual friend of ours hired me to look into you.“ Sherlock said carefully.

“Yeah? Who?!” John demanded.

“He wishes to remain anonymous, but I was told to say that the Chinese food and telly was appreciated.”

John froze. The wolf he had met in his human form was looking for him.

“Why can’t he just look into it himself?”

“I believe I said he wished to stay anonymous.” Sherlock said carefully and looked down and John’s grasp at his coat. John realized it and released his hands from the coat but remained close.

“So he hired someone to stalk me in order to find out all he wanted to know about my life? One that is just plain creepy, two… “ He faltered. He was going to say he wanted to have the man do it himself and he would gladly try and gt to know the man… but he didn’t want John to know him.

“Do you keep contact with him?” John asked timidly.

“My client will remain anonymous.” Sherlock said sharply.

“No, I know. I just… can you tell him that I would really like to see him again? Like before, if that’s the only way?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sherlock looked at him for a moment before saying. “I will tell him for you. It may take some time since he is hard to get a hold of.”

John smiled knowingly. “I’ll bet he is.”

Sherlock smiled as well. “I never properly introduced myself; my name is Sherlock Holmes. Consulting Detective.” He offered a hand.

“You already know who I am, but John Watson.” He shook Sherlock’s hand. Sherlock gave a quick smile before adjusting his coat.

“So… could you please stop following me now? It’s very creepy.” John said.

“I will not make my presence less obvious but I would still need to gather information.”

“Well can I tell you it instead? What do you want to know?” He asked, a bit irritated that the man would still be following him.

“That could be arranged. There is a coffee shop not far from here that serves a good cup of tea.” Sherlock offered. He was getting a chance to be with John again. He did his best to hide his excitement but allowed himself a small smile.

“Alright. I gotta do some shopping after. Not a crumb in the flat so I need to get that done before I try marking anything.”

“It will not take long.” Sherlock said, a bit down hearted that he could not spend longer. He led them into the store and ordered them some tea. John’s favorite.

“Earl Grey? You have been stalking me.” John said.

“I happen to like it myself as well, if you must know.” Sherlock added.

“Oh. “ John said, shifting uncomfortably.

“Shall we sit over there?” Sherlock gestured around the shop. John got them a booth where they would have a bit more privacy. John sat and played with his cup a bit.

“If you are uncomfortable with this, you don’t have to say anything. I will find out anyways.” Sherlock said.

“That is somehow not comforting.” John said, feeling uneasy. “If the man won’t be able to come see me himself, why does he want to know this information?”

“He is… curious.”

“Curious about a man he doesn’t have any intention of meeting face to face?”

“I do not question the why, Mr. Watson. But if I had to suspect, it was because he was interesting in the idea of getting to know you. As himself.”

“Yeah well it was made clear he couldn’t so I’m not holding my breath.” John said, drumming his fingers against the tea mug.

“You enjoyed your time with him?” Sherlock observed as John’s face showed reluctance.

John looked up at him. “Of course I did. I hadn’t had a night with a friend for a while. Most of my mates are off somewhere or in other parts of the country. Despite…complications it was still a lot of fun.” John said with a small smile. Sherlock felt a warm sensation spread through his chest but kept his composure.

“He told me he enjoyed his time as well.”

“Well he got some Chinese out of it.” John smiled.

“He did.” Sherlock said.

“Well, tell him he’s buying next time.” He told Sherlock. Sherlock smiled and nodded. He liked spending time with John. He normally did not like spending time with anyone but John was different.

“What do you teach?” Sherlock asked.

“I teach a bunch of teens, all the grades there so grades 8-12. They’re a great bunch of kids really if you can peak their interest. Mostly I teach the biology and chemistry courses, the ones kids hate.” John said, taking a sip of tea.

“There is some hope in the school system yet.” Sherlock said.

“They just need someone who doesn’t just throw a bunch of work at them and expects it all done by a certain time. I mean yeah, they have to have assignments done by a given time but if you make it fun for them or let them work with what they know you can get some really cool projects.” John said.

“I do wish that all teachers could have a similar mind set as your own, then I would have enjoyed school.” Sherlock said.

“Yeah. So I do that and haven’t got much time otherwise so… That’s it really.”

“No weekend activities?”

“Seeing my mum or my sister. Like I said, my mates are all off everywhere so I don’t see them often and my coworkers hate the place so they don’t want a reminder of hell outside of it.” John said.

“I see.” Sherlock nodded. “Why did you approach my client?” Sherlock asked, curious of John’s answer.

“How much of that did he disclose with you exactly?” John asked, crossing his arms.

“Not much, only that he was in a compromising situation and you were able to assist him out of that without causing any… trouble.”

“Yeah alright. Well I approached him to see how… dangerous he was in that situation, you know for the kids, and he didn’t do anything to show any aggression so the best thing I could think of doing was keeping him out of a very bad scenario. It would have been bad and he wouldn’t have been able to explain without making things worse so it was just best to help him get out of there.” John said, trying not to give anything away.

“He did not pose as a threat to you but you knew he might to others?”

“Yeah, some just jump to conclusions and have a ‘shoot first, questions after’ mentality so it was better to give him a chance to get out of there.” He felt like he was on trial. “If he had wanted to hurt me, he would have and didn’t.” John finished his little spiel.

“This is not an interrogation.” Sherlock said, sensing John was feeling defensive.

“I- I know. It’s just… all of this is just weird.” John said.

“I understand. “ Sherlock said.

“Do you?”

“I understand your reasoning and position, yes.”

“Okay, good. Good.” John confirmed. Sherlock’s mobile went off and he looked up at John.

“I must excuse myself.” Sherlock rose and faced John, offering his hand. “Thank you for your time.” He said. John shook his hand.

“Sorry if I was a bit rough earlier. Just… don’t like being followed.”

“I will keep that in mind.” Sherlock said and left without another word.

Sherlock went back to his flat and started to make a plan on how to see John again. He was going to order Chinese food and bring it up to John’s flat when he was sure he was home. This time he would have some clothes to change into when he left this time. Sherlock did not want to risk John finding them and possibly putting two and two together so he would hide it somewhere. The Chinese of course would be easy to establish. He had a restaurant that he preferred and had seen the menu among John’s menus.

Hmm, what else did people do on a normal night in? A movie. Sherlock wondered what kind of movie John would like to watch. He picked out three he felt John might like (and he could tolerate) and put them in a small bag. Sherlock made his way to the door, excited of the evening he had planned.

Then his phone rang.

“What do you want Mycroft.”

“The reason why you were seen having a cup of tea with Mr. Watson.” Mycroft’s voice came from the other side of the phone.

“It’s none of your business what I do with my spare time.”

“Sherlock, you know you cannot tell him anything. It would put him in danger if he did.”

“You mean you would put him in danger from knowing anything.”

“I did not say that.”

“Yes you did.”

“He cannot know any more than he already does. What he knows is dangerous enough.”

“Has he called the National Guard? Has he run off screaming?” Sherlock asked. Have you ever seen me interested in anyone before? He thought to himself.

Mycroft sighed. “Sherlock. Do not see him again. The more involved you become, the harder it will be to be to withdraw.”

“I have no plans to become withdrawn from John Watson and he did help me, despite what I was.”

“Sherlock.”

“If you do anything to harm him or disrupt his life in any way…”

“You’ll what? Prance around the street in a bed sheet?”

“Take a stroll in the middle of London.” He said, more meaning behind his words.

“That would be foolish and get you killed.”

“Then leave John alone.”

“First name basis already?” Mycroft sighed. “You are already treading on thin ice Sherlock. Unless he is to become your mate, stay away from him or others might act.” He said and hung up.

“You know all about ice, brother.” Sherlock murmured into the dead line. He put his phone away and made his way out of the flat with his small bag.

Sherlock went by John’s flat and tried to find out if he was there or not.

He was.

Sherlock phoned the restaurant and told them the address to deliver. If they requested payment; that would require his wallet and that was not a good thing to have around in front of John, so he waited for it near the door.  He took the take-out and paid for it.

He looked around the hall and did not hear anyone attempting to come up the stairs or leave so he stripped down, folded his clothes and hid them somewhere close (behind a planter) and shifted. He scratched against the door loudly so that John would hear him. His heart thudded quickly in his chest while he waited. The take-out was starting to smell really good but he knew he had to wait.

 

John looked up from his paperwork at the sound of something scratching at his door. What was that? Gladstone from down the hall got out again? He hoped not. John got up and opened the door.

It was the wolf and he had a take-out bag in his mouth.

John smiled a broad smile. “Well hullo there!” John said and opened the door wider. “Come in, come in.”  He gestured for him to enter quickly. John did not want to explain what a very large dog was going in the building. Sherlock came inside the flat and with his tail wagging and went into the kitchen to place it on the counter. John was still amused at the sight of a large wolf acting so… domestic. He closed the door quickly and joined him in it. “Had a run in with your friend Sherlock Holmes, by the way.” John said with an amused smile but crossed his arms over his chest. “Dunno if I should be flattered or creeped out. “

Sherlock ducked his head and looked away. He shrugged then dared to look back up at John again. There was no anger or hatred in his eyes.   
“I’ll take it as a compliment at least. But this is really silly, you know. Hiring someone to find out information about me that you can’t ask me in person.”

Sherlock whined slightly. _You know why I can’t,_ he thought.

John tried not to look disappointed and quickly turned back to the food so that he couldn’t see. “Well, I’ll get some of this dished up for you and then we can watch some telly.” He said and opened the bag. “Oh.” He said and took out the DVD’s. “Or watch one of these.” He smiled holding them up.

Sherlock looked up at the videos, wondering which one John would choose. He was glad John was not mad at him for being sought out at least but he was saddened by the fact he knew he could not tell John who he was. It wasn’t because of his brother, but what his brother had said. John would be in serious trouble if John knew who he was. He sighed to himself and watched as John decided.

“This one?” He asked, showing Sherlock his choice. Sherlock nodded and wagged his tail. John smiled. “Alright. I got a little bit of work to do first but we can do it after that.” He dished up a large plate of the take-out for Sherlock (a combination of them all this time so he wouldn’t feel guilty) and dished himself a plate. He placed his own by his work on the table but was at a loos what to do with Sherlock’s. He frowned slightly before Sherlock tapped his paw against the floor twice to indicate the floor was fine.

“You’re not going to be insulted if I do that are you?” John asked. Sherlock shook his head and sat down expectantly. “Okay then.” John placed the plate in front of the large wolf and sat down, digging into his own food and marking papers. Sherlock wished he could help him mark so he could finish sooner. When he finished his plate of food, he came over and rested his head on John’s leg. John looked up from the paper he was marking and smiled at Sherlock then started to scratch behind his ears.

“Call ahead next time then.” He teased.  Sherlock huffed indignantly but started to growl softly at John’s touch, leaning into his touch. John smirked and looked back at the paper quickly to finish marking and decided to do the rest at lunch the next day. He packed his work away and moved them to the couch.

“Shall I make some popcorn?” He asked, partially joking.

Sherlock gave a husky laugh and shrugged. As long as he was with John, it didn’t matter. There was a certain sort of feeling that Sherlock was unfamiliar with that made him feel drawn to John. He followed closely as John moved to the kitchen to put the plates away before facing Sherlock.

“Maybe later.” He said and moved over to the living room. He put the DVD in. Sherlock waited till John sat down on the couch before he joined him, most of his body curled up but still taking up the majority of the couch. He shifted a few times before he found a comfortable spot.

“Oi, hold still you.” He said and focused on the settings on the DVD to start it.

Sherlock gave a small huff of air and settled with his chin on John’s knee. He waited to see if John was uncomfortable with his closeness but felt no resistance. He smiled to himself, he was with John. It made him happy to be with John, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. Why did being with John make him happy? He pondered this as the movie started.

John watched the movie and subconsciously started to scratch the wolf’s ears. He could care less about the movie by this point. It was calming to have the wolf there.  It felt… right, like he was supposed to be there with him. Perhaps it was part of the fact he knew the wolf wouldn’t hurt him but it may have been that he knew under all that fur there was a man who had sought him out. John wasn’t gay, quite straight in fact, but for some reason he wouldn’t mind spending some time with the man beneath the fur.

John felt his eyes starting to close and forced himself to open them fully. He wasn't sure how long the wolf would stay or when the next time was when he would see him and didn't want him to go just because he was falling asleep. 

He stretched a little to get some feeling back in him limbs and stood. "Thirsty?"  

Sherlock stood to do the same and nodded at John's question. He should leave, let John sleep. He needed the rest, and the more time he spent with John the more of a risk he would be subjected to. Sherlock followed John to the kitchen and sighed. 

"You don't have to go." John almost blushed at the fierceness of his words. "I just mean..." He rubbed his forehead as he thought. "You are always welcome here. It is nice to have a friend to talk to." He poured himself a glass of water and set a bowl down on the floor for the wolf. He laughed at how silly it seemed. "You know, if you are going to insist on staying in that form whenever you are here, I should get you your own set of dishes." 

Sherlock gave a husky laugh and lapped up the water from the dish and licked John's hand in thanks. Sherlock shrugged and went to nose open the door to John's room. He was curious what it looked like. He had to admit, it was nice to have someone to talk to, well have someone who wasn't calling him a freak or anything. But then again, John didn't know  _him_  just the werewolf side of him. It wasn't exactly the same thing. 

"I know." John said as he turned on the light. "Its not much...but then again, its just me." He crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway. John had no use for the extravagant and his bedroom reflected it even more so than the rest of his flat. "Do you live alone?"

The furniture was minimal and simple, like John. It was neat and tidy except for his work papers that were scattered all over his bed. Must have spent the night before marking, Sherlock thought. He nodded at John's question and jumped up onto the bed then settled down on it.

"A loner...a loner who has taken over my bed." John shook his head and sat on his bed. He leaned back and yawned, giving the wolf a little nudge, making room for his feet. "A key. Maybe I'll make you a ke..." The rest of John's words became incoherent as his eyes fluttered shut. 

Sherlock scooched over as far as he could go and watched as John fell to sleep almost immediately. He was exhausted. Sherlock observed him for a while before realizing how tired he was and how comfy the bed was. Well, any bed was more comfortable when they had someone to share it with, he supposed. He drifted into sleep and woke early the next morning, shifted back into a human. It took a second for his brain to kick start and he realized John would see him as a human. He got up carefully so he didn't disturb him and tip toed out of John's room before he woke up. 

Sherlock closed John's bedroom door quietly behind him, hoping to not wake him. He moved silently through the flat and opened the door. He popped his head out into the hallway and grabbed his clothes before anyone could see him. He looked back at the closed door but turned away before he could do something he would regret. 

John rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. He sat up quickly as he remember there should be a warm body at the foot of the bed. He reached out and felt that the wolf's spot was still warm. He scrambled off the bed and opened the door, calling out into the flat.

"Hello?" Only silence answered his question and he hung his head, slightly disappointed. He shook himself and got ready for the day. 

Sherlock walked along the streets of London in the early morning and took in all the details around him. He shouldn't have stayed the night. Shouldn't get attached. Much less to someone who could get hurt easily. Mycroft was right. Sherlock went to his flat and sulked for the day, ignoring phone calls and texts. He couldn't stop thinking about John though. He liked Sherlock. Someone actually accepted him. It was a foreign idea to him.

John sat silently eating his breakfast. Usually he tried to be slightly productive, giving marks or going over lessons, but today he couldn't manage to put his brain to work. 

He enjoyed his time with the wolf, but he would be lying if he didn't find it all a bit frustrating. He hated not knowing the next time he would be able to see his friend. John felt as if it was all so uncertain. There was so little he knew about the wolf and all he wanted to know was more....like a name, a name would have been nice. 

Maybe he would try and contact that consulting detective who had been following him...Sherlock Holmes? Or maybe not. He sighed and put his dishes in the sink, having barely touched his food.

 

Sherlock pouted around his flat until he resolved to go out and walk by the school. Not to see John, just walk...

Sherlock was leaving the flat an hour later and resolved to go tothe bakery across the street from it. When he got there, the kids were on a break and he had little patience left by the time he got to the till. Teenagers were his least favorite stage of humans possible.

 

John decided to wander over to the bakery before break was over. He was getting antsy and needed something sweet. When he stepped through the door several of his students ran out giggling. He couldn't help but smile at their lightheartedness. But the smile on his face faded when his eyes landed on a certain consulting detective at the till. 

This could be one of his few chances to get more information on the wolf. Should he just approach Sherlock? He shifted weight between his feet like a nervous teenager. 

"Get it together John!" He cursed himself as he squared his shoulders and approached the detective. 

 

As soon as he was ordering, he caught John's scent. John was here. He waited for his order and didn't look around in case John hadn't seen- nope, he was right next to him now. "For the record, I like the sweet buns here." He said before looking at John.

John couldn't help himself as he gave a throaty chuckle. "I know. They're my favorite." He cleared his throat and looked at Sherlock. "So, following me again?" He asked casually as he reached out for a sample.

"As hard as it is to believe, I do more than follow you around." Sherlock said and took his order. "Are you getting one too?"

"Yes." He grabbed for his wallet as Sherlock laid double the total down and the woman behind the counter gave John a sweet bun. "Thank you." He said, shoving his money away again. "Can you just tell me his name?" John sighed as they left the bakery.

"Red beard." Sherlock said as the first name he could come up with. "Given the circumstances, I think you know why he can't say more. It puts you and him at risk." Sherlock said.

"Red Beard?" John squinted at him. "I just - " He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He looked back at the consulting detective. "Is there anything about him you can tell me?" 

This is where things got tricky because Sherlock could tell John a lot about the wolf in question but then he could also make it sound like he knew the wolf personally (more than just detective-client basis). "What would you like to know about him?" Sherlock asked carefully. "I can only tell you what I have observed about him so choose wisely."

John thought for a moment. He truly wished he was dealing with someone who he could manipulate slightly, but he had a feeling that this detective would catch that. "What do you think he would want me to know?" John scuffed his feet on the sidewalk. He knew he didn't have much time left before he had to go back and kept watching the school. 

"I believe you only have a short time before you return to your classes. Let me converse with him and let him tell me what I can tell you." He said and stopped to look at John. "From what I have observed, he is under obligation to keep his secret, not by his own choice. He does want to know you better without putting you at risk."

"Risk of what? Of getting fur all over the couch?!" John couldn't help but feel frustrated by the whole situation. He sighed and then shivered, feeling as if there were eyes watching them. 

"No, a risk of-" But he stopped. He could smell them. Those mutts from Brixton. Sherlock looked over and saw two of them coming their way. What should he do? He knew they'd catch his scent and he didn't want that. "Walk the other way. Don't question, just do as I say and act casual about it." He said.

John started to protest but thought better. He turned on his heal and headed back to the school. He smiled at a few of his students and resisted the urge to turn back and look at the detective. He kept his eyes forward until he was inside the building. He stopped and stared at the closed door thinking about how strange the details of his life were becoming. 

Sherlock ducked into the side the nearest store and watched the men walk by and hoped none of them saw or smelled John. Oh of course they came into the the store and saw him in there. 

"Well look who it is."

"Don't be tedious. You know you are on my brother's turf." Sherlock told them.

"Is that a threat."

"I just said, don't be tedious." Sherlock said. "I don't care what you do but it's on your necks what you do."  
One man approached him and took a sniff.

"Excuse me, you're being rather rude and not letting me pass." He said.  
The man smiled and took a step back. Sherlock didn't like the look on his face as he left the store. They had John's scent. 

The rest of the day John couldn't shake the feeling of being watched and not just by his students. By the time he got home, his mind was in no place to look at the papers his students had handed in. He still felt uneasy and decided he needed to hunt down the detective's number. It took him a few, but he found it and dialled quickly on his mobile.

Sherlock looked at his phone and had John's number already in his phone. Should he answer it? The more he spoke with John and spent time with him, the more risk he was in. Sherlock had ignored Mycroft's warnings about such and he didn't think about risks such as other packs waiting to use something for leverage. John could be used against them as bait or a bargaining chip. Not if he could help it. Against his better judgement, he picked up the phone. "Yes?"

John gaped for a moment. "Is that how you answer all your calls?" He bounced his legs as he looked to the door, making sure he had locked it. 

"Sometimes." He admitted and listened to the man on the other end of the line. "You are uneasy." He noted. 

"Yes." John admitted. "I know its stupid, but ever since you and I parted ways I feel as if i am being watched." He ran a hand through his hair. "Has this anything with  _how_ we parted ways?"

"It is likely nothing, John." Though it was possible the men were able to find him and keep a watch on him. That wasn't good. "Lock your doors and windows then go to bed. Or mark some of your students homework."

"Not really helpful." John sighed. "You're probably right. Sorry for inconveniencing you."

"It's understandable. I'm sure your friend will keep an eye on things for you." He said and grabbed his coat.

"Are you going to tell him then?" John perked up at the idea of being able to see the would again, not that talking with the Consulting Detective was so bad.

"He already know." Sherlock told John. "Go about your life as normal and he will keep watch." He left the flat to go for a walk. Towards John's flat.

John dropped his mobile on the couch and leaned back, with hands pressed to his eyes. "Complicated." He muttered thinking that maybe it hadn't have been such a good idea to take the wolf the sandwich in the first place. He smirked at himself and knew that he would never truly regret it. 

Sherlock went towards John's flat and already could smell the mutts around the flat. He knew if he could smell them it was highly likely they could smell him. Ah, apparently so.

"Coming to check on your new boyfriend?"

"Not that it is any business of yours, but I was merely walking."

"He must be something special for someone like you to pay attention to him."

"Who said I spent any with him?"

"Your scent is all over his flat."

"Jealous?" Sherlock raised an eyebrow.

"Jealous? Don't know how he can stand you."

"Is this all you do with your time? Or do you have jobs to do for Magnus? It's  _his_  attention you want, not mine."

The man's eyes glowed as a warning.

"Move along and I won't let it slip." Sherlock told him. The man left with his partner and took off. 

Sherlock waited till they were gone before he stood close to the wall of the building and subtly marked his territory. John was his to protect now. He moved away and walked back to his flat, wishing John was safe there with him.

 

John had tried to mark some of his students' papers but found his mind just kept wandering. He gave up and stretched a bit, looking out the window. He noticed a group of three men standing just outside his building. He watched them for a moment before noticing the third man. 

"Sherlock?" John whispered as he squinted down at the group. The other two men disappeared and John watched as Sherlock moved closer to the building. "What is he doing?" He couldn't see. 

Before his mind could get into gear and tell him to run down and stop him from leaving, the detective had gone, leaving John starting down at an empty spot, kicking himself. 

 

Sherlock was not there but the two men came back. They waited till John was in bed before breaking into his flat (really simple, just a deadbolt) and gave him some chlorophome to keep him quiet as they moved him. They could use him to get Sherlock's attention. And once they had him, then they'd have what they needed. The first man, Theo, told his partner Joe to carry John out while he called for a car to pick them up. The car came and another pack member helped them load John into the car and took them back to their territory. Theo was rather pleased with himself that he caught John so easily. Humans were becoming rather easy play toys. They took John into the factory turned housing for their pack and threw him into a holding cell. They knew it would be a matter of time.

John's eyes shot open as a hand clamped over his mouth. He caught a glimpse of two men before his eyes fluttered closed again. There were a few moments of groggy confusion from then till he woke up in a cold cell. Besides John, there was nothing else in the cold damp cell. He heard a few movements outside, but besides that, all was silent. He rubbed his head trying to remember what had happened. 

Sherlock went for a walk again to check on John before get ent to work but his flat was empty. Strange, John never got up and out this early. He went to pick the lock but the door was unlocked. Not good. He could faintly smell the two mutts he'd talked to earlier. Darn. He cursed and left the flat in seconds. Sherlock knew where they would take John and was going to get him out. Sherlock got a cab to Brixton and found an easy access point into their living space. It stank of wet dog but it was to be expected with this many living so close together. Sherlock made his way throughout the building, looking for John's scent but found little more than scents to assault his senses. John... where was John?

"Knew you'd show up sooner or later." Theo smiled and got two others to take hold of Sherlock. They lead Sherlock to a holding cell and he could smell John in there. "In you go." Theo said and pushed Sherlock into John's cell.

 

John heard voices and a loud struggling coming closer to his cell. He moved closer to the door trying to hear what was being said. 

"In you go." And the door to his cell was thrown open. John scrambled backwards as a tall figure was pushed inside. It took him a second to recognize the consulting detective. 

"Sherlock?" John blinked at him several times. "What is going on!?"

 

"An unfortunate endeavour." Sherlock replied. Theo came in with a nasty smile on his face. "Got a little something to keep things interesting for you." He said and held up a needle. Sherlock didn't like the looks of it, especially less when Theo came over to him and stuck it his neck. Sherlock could feel the effects immediately. "Don't leave me in here with him! Not with that!"

"Oh but I am." Theo said and slammed the door closed. Sherlock grabbed his neck and keeled over.

 

"Sherlock!" John rushed over to his side trying to hold him up. "Wh-what is going on?" He stammered, still feeling slightly light headed. "What did he just do to you?" 

 

Sherlock started to panic a bit inside. This was not good. He could hurt John by accident. Sherlock moved away from John and slumped into a corner. "He gave me an agitator. Very painful and very much a problem. It starts to irritate my system and causes me to lose my right mind. So stay back. I don't want to hurt you." He said sharply. He knew it would be a matter of time before he shifted from the irritant in his blood and had no clue how he would react to John in his wolf form. He prayed he would be too weak to really harm John if it came to that. Sherlock felt like every vein in his body was on fire and he knew there was no stopping it.

 

John watched as Sherlock held his neck, cursing under his breath. He was no longer afraid, but mad - where was the wolf?! Sherlock had told him he would be watching, why had this happened?! "Where is he!?" John shouted. "You told me he would be watching! Why would he let this happen?" 

 

"Believe me, it's not intentional." Sherlock said with some stain in his voice. He started to remove his jacket and started to remove his shirt but his movements were pained. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, and focused on getting his trousers off. The wolf would come out soon and Sherlock had no way to stop it.

John stood back and watched as Sherlock undressed. "Do you really think this is the best time to air out?!" He shouted. 

 

Sherlock just barely got them off before he keeled over from the pain and fighting off the shift. He was resisting as best he could but his tether was about to snap. "Stay... back... don't want to... hurt you." He managed to get out before the fur sprouted from every pore on his body and bones snapped as they reformed into a wolf's body. Sherlock slumped to the floor, unable to bear John's reaction  when he put two and two together.

 

John stood routed in spot as he watched Sherlock transform. A wolf. No, not just any wolf, but  _his_ wolf. The very one he had spent time with. Here he was after all.

A bit of relief washed over John, admittedly. But soon it vanished and was replaced with the betrayal and frustration he was feeling. He wanted to shout, run, kick, and scream, but instead just stared at the creature before him with a look of disappointment and sadness. 

 

Sherlock could almost feel John's burrowing into the back of his skull. He let out a soft whine as the pain practically paralyzed him. He had no means of explaining, no means of escape and no means of relief. Sherlock whined and breathed shallow breaths, when would it stop? Not for hours unless his system was flushed out.  _John... I'm sorry..._

John finally broke from his spot and stumbled backwards into the cell wall. He slid down and watched as Sherlock breathed erratically. He hated hearing the moans of pain and the stressed breathing, but what was there to do for him? "Sherlock?" He practically whispered. 

 

Sherlock whined louder and tried to move away. He didn't want to accidentally hurt John by snapping at him or batting him away with his paw. He looked up at John and then closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the pain. 

 

John wasn't sure what was going on or why. But he hated seeing Sherlock in pain. He ignored the wolf's attempts at moving away and crawled over to him. He gentle pressed his hand to Sherlock's head, tempting fate. 

 

Sherlock's initial reaction was to bite or snap at anything that came towards him, but he fought those instincts so that he didn't hurt John. Instead, he pressed his head further into John's hand, nearly whining for comfort. He'd deny this later, but he needed something to anchor him. Something for him to hold onto. 

 

John sighed in relief, glad to have his hand whole. He wasn't sure about the next few hours, maybe even days, for he wasn't sure what Sherlock had been injected with. But for now, Sherlock seemed glad for his presence . 

After a few hours, Sherlock felt a bit better than he had before and started breathing regularly again. There was a commotion in the corridor and what sounded like... a raid? No, rescue. He was going to get an earful from his brother but he didn't care so long as John was out of this pit and away from danger. The door was unlocked and Sherlock instantly started growling.   
"Oh do shut up, Sherlock. Your bark is worse than your bite as it is." Mycroft sneered as he got some of his men to lift Sherlock and carry him out of the room.   
"John Watson, I take it?" He turned to John. 

 

John stared at the man for a moment before shaking his hand. It had been a long couple of hours and he was still trying to make sense of what had happened. "Yes, and you are?" 

 

"An interested party." Mycroft told him and gestured for them to leave the room. "Sherlock has become rather attached to you. As you may have noticed, it is rather dangerous." Mycroft said as they walked out of the facility. 

 

"Interested party?" John inhaled as the outside air hit his face. "I am rather interested in what you think will change by you telling me all of this?" 

 

Mycroft stopped and looked at John intently. "He is not some adventure to seek out in your mundane life, you know." Mycroft narrowed his eyes. "You are much better off without getting involved."

 

John practically scoffed at the man standing beside him. "You want me to take life advice from you and yet you won’t tell me who you are?" He shook his head and started to walk away. 

 

"Yes." Mycroft said simply. "I worry about him." Mycroft told him. "Mr. Watson. Do take care." He said and watched as Sherlock was loaded into a large truck to be transported to a safe location. He whined and was looking for John. Where was he? Why wasn't he there with him?

 

John kept his head forward as he walked away. He was mad at Sherlock for the lies and needed some space. He needed time to sort out what had just happened to them. He wouldn't get that if he turned back now. 

 

Sherlock couldn't smell John anywhere and it made him sad. He'd ruined it. He'd wanted a friend and he'd ruined it. John would never speak to him again now. The ride was rather bumpy but Sherlock just closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain. When Sherlock woke again, he was in a strange bed and hooked up to an IV and blood bag. Transfusion. Sherlock sighed and looked around the room. He was in Mycroft's house. Typical. The blood was going to be emptied out of the bag in a matter of minutes so he wasn't worried about being stuck there. Oh they would tell him to stay put but it didn't matter to him. He needed to find John.   
Mycroft walked in a short time later and sat down in a chair next to his brother.   
"You couldn't leave him alone, could you?"  
Sherlock growled at him but said nothing (not that he could in wolf form)  
"Leave him for a while to process all that has happened. I will have you sent home once the doctor has finished the transfusion." He said and got up to leave.   
  
Sherlock went home and plopped himself onto the couch, feeling miserable still, but not physically. He'd ruined everything.

 

John threw himself on the bed. He heaved a sigh of relief for the extra sleep he would be getting with the weekend. All he wanted was to fall asleep right then, but he knew he shouldn't. He dragged himself off the bed and stripped out of his dirty clothes and into sleep wear. He got himself a glass of water and wandered back to bed. He was exhausted and as he climbed under the sheets his eyes shuttered closed. 

But even though he could not keep his eyes open, his brain would not stop. He didn't understand what had happened that afternoon. He didn't know who the "interested" party was. He didn't understand why, if it was so dangerous, Sherlock had even bothered to keep contact at all. 

Yet, the thing he didn't understand the most was why he still wanted to try and be friends with the wolf. 

 

Sherlock couldn't rest or sit still. He paced around his apartment in his dressing gown, ignored his experiments and even his violin held no relief to his unease. He needed to speak to John. After much internal debate, Sherlock went to get dressed and came out in one of his suits and his coat, ready to brace the outdoors. And John. He decided to walk since it would give him time to compose what he wanted to say to John and how he would go about saying it. By the time he reached John's door however, everything he had thought of vanished. Sherlock cleared his throat and knocked on the door. He could run before John saw him- but that would defeat the purpose of him coming there. 

 

John had just dragged himself out of bed and made himself tea when he heard the knock. It could very well just be a neighbor asking to borrow something, or the 'interested party' with whom John had no desire to speak to, or even the people who had captured him the day before. With those three options, John decided to ignore the knock. He didn't want to be bothered today. 

Or it just might be, could be,  Sherlock. 

John desperately wanted an explanation of what had happened and why there was all the lies. 

He sighed and set down his tea. He stood up and went to answer the door. 

 

Sherlock nearly jumped out of his skin when the door was being unlocked and composed his features to look neutral though in reality he was afraid of what John might do or say. Interesting that he was so concerned about what a school teacher would think of him. But John was more than that.   
"John." He said when he saw John's tired face. He hadn't slept very well and it was Sherlock's fault, do doubt. "I was- I mean I am still but- I was hoping we could sit down and... talk." He said, damn his nerves. 

 

John rubbed his face and stepped aside. He closed the door and leaned on it for a moment, trying to mentally  prepare himself. He motioned to a chair at the table for Sherlock to sit. He fidgeted slightly, unsure what to say. 

"Tea?"   

 

Sherlock entered the flat and sat down in the chair John motioned to. "Please." He said then started smoothing his coat. "You know, I had this all planned out, what I was going to say but now it seems to have fled my mind." He said and gave a nervous laugh.

 

John poured the tea and sat down with a frown. He wasn't sure what to say either - there really wasn't an instruction manual for a situation like this. "We....I.....sugar?" He winced at his failed attempt to speak. 

 

"Yes." Sherlock said to John's question and steepled his hands under his chin. He waited for John to sit back down before he spoke again. "I believe I should start with an apology for putting you in the... situation you found yourself in. The deception was necessary, but was unfair to you. I should have discontinued contact." 

 

John found Sherlock's particular posture strange. 

He cleared his throat before talking. "If you should have discontinued contact, then why are you here?"

 

"To give you an explanation. I owed you that much after all you have done for me." Sherlock told him. "It's not dangerous for you in the sense that you shouldn't be in the same room as me. More so if someone finds out you know about our kind and try to use you in the same way those morons did." He said. 

 

John squinted as he processed the information. "What next?" He asked, sipping on his tea. 

 

"Now I can cease all contact and we can forget this ever happened. Or you can live a life of constantly looking over your shoulder. It's up to you." He told John. He was internally hoping that John would want to see him again. Have another idiotic movie and Chinese night.

 

John laughed. "Go back to having silent evenings watching movies and eating dinner?" He stood up and paced. "Do you think being your friend is really that dangerous?" 

 

"If other packs or hunters find you and try to use you, yes." Sherlock said, holding his mug and taking comfort in the warmth. "Unless you were to stay with me, then I could keep an eye out. I can smell them before they come and protect you."

 

John gaped at him for a moment. "Did you just invite me to be your new flat mate?"

 

"It makes the most sense." Sherlock said, feeling heat rising to his cheeks with embarrassment. Had he gone too far again. "Shared rent is much more affordable with your teacher's salary and closer to your work." He said. 

 

"I won’t clean your hair off the couch." John smirked and got up. 

 

Sherlock looked up at him. "You've considered it?" He was rather surprised. But he didn't want to ruin the moment.

 

"I was serious about not cleaning your hair off the couch." John said over his shoulder as he started to clean up the tea things from the counter. 

 

Sherlock schooled his features but let a smile creep onto it. "You should see the place of course. When you have time of course."

 

"Not really doing much now." John gave a shrug. 

 

Sherlock finished up his tea and stood. "Shall we?"

 

"Yes, I think we shall."

 

Sherlock smiled and opened the door for them and waited for John to lock up before briskly leading the way out to the street and walking along the street with him. 

 

John followed along beside Sherlock. "Am I allowed to ask questions about...?"

 

"With discretion, yes." Sherlock said as they walked along. No one was really paying attention to them anyways. 

 

John swung his arms at his sides and thought for a moment. "Do you have a pack?" 

 

"I do, but they are annoying. My brother runs it." Sherlock told him. 

 

"Would your brother be the man who saved us?" John asked with a smirk. "He seemed rather annoying." 

 

Sherlock snorted. "He didn't  _save_ us. He stuck his nose into my business and wanted to make a show of it." Sherlock rolled his eyes. "He  _is_ annoying."

 

" _Didn't save us_?" John asked with a chuckle. "And I suppose  _you_  had the whole situation under control?"

 

"Of course." Sherlock replied. "It would have taken a bit longer, but I had several plans in place." He said and turned them down the next street. 

 

John stopped and gaped at him for a moment. "That's what you call under control?" 

 

"Slightly out of my hand maybe..." He'd never admit outright that he wasn't in control of the situation. "I suppose it was not going entirely as planned." He admitted. 

 

John just gave him a look and moved on from the subject. "Do you turn on full moons without prompt?" He wasn't sure if maybe he had crossed a line with that question. 

 

"I think you know the answer to that from our encounters prior to yesterday." Sherlock said as they turned onto Baker Street. 

 

"Are there any wolves that you like?" John head was spinning with so many questions that he spat out the next sentence that formed in his mouth. 

 

"No. I can tolerate a select few whom are not complete idiots." Sherlock replied and stopped at 221b, opening the door for him and John.

 

John followed Sherlock up the stairs, thinking. "Is there anything you think I should know?" 

 

"Only that the flat is a bit of a mess." Sherlock said and opened the door to said flat.

 

John took a look around. A bit of a mess was an understatement, but having a flatmate would be nice. Especially someone who had his back. "Are you actually a consulting detective?"

 

"Yes. It keeps me from getting bored. Some of the time. In between cases I conduct experiments." His arm gestured to the table.

 

John eyed the experiments and was sure he say something growing. He gave the air a bit of a sniff near the kitchen table. "Doesn't that smell bug you?"

 

"I hardly notice it." Sherlock said but went to open a window. He then started to move his papers around to tidy up. "Of course I can... clean up a bit." 

 

"Its fine...Its great." John nodded, giving him a small smile. 

 

"A bit strange, I know. But then I'm not exactly normal." Sherlock mused. 

 

John gave a laugh sitting on the couch. "No, not exactly normal is quite right." 

 

Sherlock gave a lopsided smile and went to go put the kettle on.   


"Yoohoo, Sherlock?" Mrs. Hudson called from downstairs and started to make her way up.   


"My landlady." Sherlock told him. "Yes, Mrs. Hudson?"  


"Oh hello, I'm not interrupting a consultation, am I?"  


"No no. John was considering the room upstairs."

 

She looked at him with a happy yet searching look, looking for affirmation.

 

"Oh, yes." John nodded happily. "Just need to see the room before I can confirm." 

 

"I'll just show you the room there then-oh!" She grabbed her hip. 

 

"I'll show him, Mrs. Hudson." Sherlock told her.

 

"It was nice to meet you." John smiled at Mrs. Hudson, glad for the chance to see where he could,  _would_ , be living. 

 

Sherlock lead John up the stairs to show him the spare room. It wasn't very excitable but it was a sufficient living space. 

 

"Not bad." John said looking around the small room. "I think it'll do." 

 

"I shall inform Mrs. Hudson." Sherlock said and left the room trying to hide his excitement.

 

"Wait, Sherlock!" John called as he ran out of the room and down the stairs after him. "When, when should I plan to move in?"

 

"As soon as you can." Sherlock said and kept going down the stairs.

 

"Alright." John confirmed as they reached the living room again. 

 

"Mrs. Hudson! John will take the room!" Sherlock yelled down to her, as she had gone down to her flat, do doubt to find papers.

 

John smiled brightly, happy for the new adventure that was ahead of himself. 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
